About

Making the most of...  the Black Country

CBC’s mission is: ‘Making the most of the Black Country through arts, culture and creativity’ 

Creative Black Country (CBC) is a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England through the Creative People and Places (CPP) programme to engage audiences in areas where evidence shows people are less likely to take part in publicly funded arts and culture. 

CBC work with communities in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton to explore and develop new creative projects with local people in the places where they live.  

The CBC staff team have a huge combined wealth of experience and knowledge in arts delivery, particularly co-design, co-creation and asset-based approaches to community engaged practice. The team regularly work alongside experienced creatives and specialists from across the Black Country and the wider Midlands region to deliver CBC’s work. CBC has been working with local communities in the Black Country since 2014 and has a strong network of strategic partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, including a huge number of community groups, arts organisations, artists and creatives across the region. 

CBC is led by a Core Consortium of: One Walsall, Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations, Wolverhampton Voluntary & Community Action and Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (working as Black Country Together CIC); and Multistory, Black Country Touring and Black Country Living Museum (which are all Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations). This consortium brings together the community and voluntary sector and the expertise of professional arts producers with a long-standing commitment to the Black Country’s creative and cultural ecology and a depth and breadth of knowledge of leading contemporary arts practice.  

Find out more about our partners here.

What will you make the most of?

If you have an idea for a project you’d like to discuss then please get in touch with one of our Creative Advisors who may be able to support you.

Creative Advisers in your area: 

Dudley – Laura Dicken laura@creativeblackcountry.co.uk 

Sandwell – Richard Franks richard@creativeblackcountry.co.uk 

Walsall – Richard Franks richard@creativeblackcountry.co.uk 

Wolverhampton – Nelson Douglas nelson@creativeblackcountry.co.uk